American Individual Connected to Australian Shooters Secures Plea Deal with Federal Attorneys
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the fatal Wieambilla attack that took six lives – including two officers from Queensland – has agreed to a less severe plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will face court on 21 October after striking the plea deal with American authorities.
The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a sole charge of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a arrangement to be approved by the judiciary in the current month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Authorities confirmed clear connections between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
The Trains, along with Nathaniel Train, killed officers from Queensland Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a final shootout with law enforcement, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
US prosecutors stated the accused corresponded via online platforms with the perpetrators around the time of the deadly ambush.
Day referred to Queensland police as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and said they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling them he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an apocalyptic video on YouTube after the shootings, saying police “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” they expressed.
Firearms Cache and Legal Proceedings
Court documents reveal the defendant stockpiled a collection of nine high-powered firearms and numerous bullets of ammunition at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was outfitted with a gun range, gun room and sniper’s nest.
“The guns and ammo were stored in the trailer I occupied with S.S., within a space we named the 'gun room',” he admitted in the agreement filed in the legal system.
He stated he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to operate the firearms properly.
The plea deal will lead to dismissed counts that pertain to the accused making of threats to officials and federal agents.
According to court documents, Day had been banned from owning weapons and firearms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has served 24 months in detention, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in jail or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal stipulates he will be judged under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.